Niyama: Santosha

Our January theme in class has been around Santosha. Santosha is a principle of yoga and translates to acceptance or contentment. I wanted to focus on acceptance at the start of the year with my students because it is often at the start of the year that we set new year resolutions. Where we look ahead and plan about how we will move forward towards our goals. I am looking forward to the future. By the same token, I am grateful for this moment.

This principle of santosha reminds me to be where I am here and now. To be able to enjoy the small things in life, that are big things and make up the fabric of daily life. To be able to savour a sweet conversation with my Mum and be fully present, to have the opportunity to work to end domestic violence, to have the chance to share about the practice of yoga and to advocate for positive change in the community and fight for mental health awareness, and to have my health back after a period of poor health, to be surrounded by amazing people everyday. I am grateful. And I don’t ever want to take these moments for granted. This is what I wished for 1 year ago. And after a period of poor health, I am at a point where I have started to dream about the future….but I still want to enjoy this moment. There are no guarantees and tomorrow has not yet come.

Here are acceptance affirmations from Soul Analyse which are really beautiful. These may help if some days you struggle to accept certain events, people, learnings as they are.

“I accept what is, with no resistance.”

“I accept others exactly as they are, without trying to change them.”

“I willingly accept and release my past, for it has shaped me into who I am today.”

Here are some questions that may also help to bring peace and clarity and acceptance to your life:

What are you accepting of?

What are you not accepting of?

How can you accept the non-acceptance?

Wishing you serenity to accept what is out of your control and wisdom to know the difference.